The thesaurus approach to information retrieval

An article by Dr. Vannevar Bush (1) which appeared in 1945 can be considered as the beginning of the literature on mechanised information retrieval. In this article Dr. Bush described an imaginary machine, the "Memex", in which a research worker would store his personal library (principally on microfilm) together with other reports, papers, and records, and from which he would be able to select instantly all references relevant to the information he desired.